Clippers vs Spurs: 5 Things to Know

The San Antonio Spurs (25-8) will play the Los Angeles Clippers (23-12) tonight at the AT&T Center. Here are five things to know about tonight’s game:

1. No CP3: Clippers guard Chris Paul will not play tonight after suffering a separated shoulder last night against the Dallas Mavericks. Clippers coach Doc Rivers said he expects to be without his All-Star point guard for three to five weeks.

2. Streak Avoided: The Spurs have yet to suffer a losing streak this season, with a 7-0 record after a loss. San Antonio fell to the New York Knicks, 105-101, on Thursday.

3. Physical Play: Spurs coach Gregg Popovich criticized his team for lack of physical play after Thursday’s loss, saying the Spurs played “soft.” Said Popovich: “I thought they were much more physical than we were. Most of the time, physical, aggressive teams are going to win in the NBA. That’s just the way it is.” Asked about the team’s lack of physical play at Saturday morning’s team shoot around, Manu Ginobili agreed with his coach. “We were not as physical as the Knicks,” said Ginobili. “I agree on that with Pop We’ve never been a bully type of team … but we’ve been better getting 50/50 balls and end-of-game rebounds and things like that … we’re not as strong in that aspect.” Asked if the team needs to improve their physicality, Ginobili said: “Always. Even if we play the hardest we’ve ever played, you can get even harder. It’s something that you always got to improve, but when the other team does it better than you, that’s when it shows more.”

4. Flashback: Tony Parker’s first regular season game in the NBA was on October 30, 2001 against the Clippers. At age 19, he became the youngest player to appear in a game for the Spurs. In 21 minutes of action, Parker scored nine points, three rebounds and three assists in a 109-98 win.

5. Back on the Road: The Spurs will have off until Tuesday, when they travel to Memphis to play the Grizzlies. The Spurs are 2-0 against Memphis this season, including a 102-86 road win on Nov. 22. The Spurs will return home to play the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, the second game of a back-to-back.